EXCLUSIVE: Taormina Film Festival will present Monica Bellucci with a Special International Award and celebrate the 25th anniversary of Giuseppe Tornatore’s Sicily-set drama Malèna in which she starred, at its upcoming edition later this month.
Bellucci will receive the honor at a gala event in Taormina’s ancient amphitheater at which the film will be screened. The official poster of the Taormina Film Festival 2025 is also dedicated to Malèna.
The 2000 World War Two-set romantic drama stars Bellucci as a woman living on her own in a small Sicilian town, while her husband is away fighting, whose beauty and sensuality raises suspicion among the other townspeople.
Taormina described Bellucci as one of the “most famous and fascinating icons of Italian and international cinema”, praising her “magnetic charisma, her innate elegance and a unique expressive intensity” and highlighting her credits such as The Passion of the Christ, Irreversible and Spectre.
“We are honored to welcome Monica Bellucci, one of the most beloved and representative interpreters of our cinema,” said Tiziana Rocca, Artistic Director of the Taormina Film Festival.
“Her talent and elegance have left a profound mark on works that have made history, and the 25th anniversary of Malèna is the perfect opportunity to celebrate her with the warmth of the Taormina audience. The Teatro Antico will be the ideal setting for this unforgettable tribute.”
Taormina Film Festival is an initiative organized by the Taormina Arte Sicilia Foundation, directly promoted by the Department of Tourism, Sport and Entertainment of the Sicilian Region, with the support of the MiC, Ministry of Culture – General Directorate of Cinema and Audiovisual.
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